James Foxall, Telegraph Motoring's consumer expert, explains how to fight a
ticket for a motoring offence.

Commit a motoring crime and it’s more than likely you’ll have to pay the fine. Of the 2.3 million motoring offences recorded annually only about one per cent are appealed against. The reason is that appealing can frequently be more expensive than paying the fine itself.

That isn’t to say the only thing to do is accept the punishment. Nick Freeman, the lawyer known as "Mr Loophole" has made a name – and a lot of money – out of picking holes in the detail of prosecution cases. On a basic level, it’s not a difficult thing to do.

When the Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) arrives, don’t ignore it or your £60 fine with three penalty points will rapidly turn into a £1,000 charge. Do check the detail on the NIP. It should arrive within 14 days of the alleged offence and the information of where and when should be correct too.

If you’re able to, re-visit where the offence took place. If it’s a speeding offence, check the signage around where you were snapped is correct. Then if you’re fairly certain the authorities have been playing a bit fast and loose, take legal advice. Freeman says: “From my experience if you want to minimise the damage or secure an acquittal it’s vital to get the right advice at the beginning of a case.”

If you're given the option of a speed awareness course instead of points, take it. Recent research showed that a driver with six points, three of which are more than four years old and three less than two years old, would pay 14.3 per cent more for insurance cover annually than a driver with no points. Nine points within the last two years would mean they'd have to shell out more than half as much again.